Former U.S. Olympic fencer dies in fire set by Havdalah candle

(JTA) –A 95-year-old Boca Raton man, a championship fencer in the 1950s, died after accidentally setting himself and his house alight with a Havdalah candle.

Byron Krieger died Nov. 9 from injuries sustained in the accident on the previous Saturday night, the local news station WPTC reported.

His wife, Joyce, 92, suffered minor burns. They were married for 57 years.

Krieger competed as a foil fencer in the Olympics twice for the United States, in the 1952 Games in Helsinki and the 1956 Games in Melbourne. He did not medal in either the team or individual event.

In 1957, he won the gold medal in the foil and sabre at the World Maccabiah Games. He was inducted into the Michigan Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 1986.

Krieger, who attended Wayne State University in Michigan, was the NCAA champion in the foil in 1942, and won a gold medal in the team foil and team sabre at the 1951 Pan American Games.

The Havdalah candle is braided and contains multiple wicks. It is lit during the Havdalah service, which marks the separation of Shabbat from the rest of the week, and is extinguished with wine at the conclusion of ceremony.

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